If you have recently found out that you are pregnant, you have a lot to think about! Whether it’s your first child or your sixth, the development of your new baby is really pretty miraculous when you consider all that happens during those nine months. And while you are interested in how your baby is developing and changing, you’re also interested in what’s going on with your own body as well. The changes you undergo during your baby’s gestation period are major, and it’s easier to cope if you know what types of changes the various parts of your own body are undergoing.
In the “old days,” women went to their obstetrician when they knew or suspected they were pregnant, and the doctor would use a wheel chart to determine the due date based on the first day of the last menstrual period. Today, you can easily enter this information into a pregnancy calculator on the web and find out your due date. Of course, the due date is an estimate, because babies have a way of deciding exactly when they’re ready to be born, but knowing your expected due date gives you a spot on the calendar to look forward to, and to use when making your plans about things like decorating a nursery and planning maternity leave from work.
Though every baby’s development is a little different, even with the same mother and father, there are well-documented milestones along the way from conception to birth. Knowing what these are not only makes pregnancy more exciting, but also helps expectant parents make the best possible health choices throughout pregnancy to help ensure the healthiest baby. And if you’re expecting a multiple birth, you can learn more about the special development aspects of multiples and see ultrasound images of what they look like as they develop, as well as how multiple births affect your own body.
The average human pregnancy lasts for 269 days, and every day your baby is changing more rapidly than he or she ever will. Today you can read all about what development is going on at any given stage of pregnancy, and you can see 3D images of babies at every stage. Even if you only have one or two ultrasound images of your baby, you can view collections of ultrasound and other images to get a good idea of how big he or she is, and which bodily systems are developing, whatever your stage of pregnancy.
Pregnancy calendars are terrific for keeping track of all the many things you have to do to prepare for your baby’s arrival, as well as feeling more engaged in the great changes you and your new baby are undergoing week by week. As you look at images of babies at the same stage of development as yours, you really appreciate how hard your body is working to bring a new life into the world. And reminding yourself of every stage of the journey from zygote to newborn helps you continue to make the healthiest lifestyle choices as you prepare for your new arrival.